Grown-Ass Electives
Alex Hillman
So yesterday I’m back at a desk at Indy Hall, easing back into work, and I overhear my partner Adam chatting with Dominique, one of our new members.
I tune in a bit as they’re talking about some of the things they’re looking forward to this year, things like new projects to goals to milestones. The topic turns to how awesome classes are for giving hobbies (especially new ones) enough structure to start and stick to them.
That’s when Adam says “Instead of resolutions this year, I’m picking some grown-ass electives.”
I love this idea.
Not one giant promise to yourself, but a short list of things you actually want to show up for.
In school, someone provides a menu of electives to choose from in addition to your core required coursework. You didn’t have to imagine every possible thing you could ever learn. You just picked from a list and moved on.
In the real world, the list of things to do, to choose from, is infinite. Infinite hobbies. Infinite Skills. Infinite projects. Infinite ways to get stuck not choosing anything at all.
The “grown-ass electives” idea is a way to shrink that infinity back down to something human-sized. You’re not deciding who you are forever. You’re just picking a few things to try this year.
A few things that fit into your life, your curiosity, and the people you want to be around.
With some grown-ass electives, the year starts to feel less like pressure and more like a schedule you chose.
A couple ways to choose your grown-ass electives:
Start with curiosity, not self-improvement. If it sounds interesting or fun or a little weird, it counts. Dance. Sewing. Writing. Showing up to a meetup and not knowing anyone.
Pick one and put it on the calendar. You can’t optimize your way into a new habit. You have to show up. One class, one meetup, one night a week. That’s how electives work.
And of course, Indy Hall is here to help. For a lot of people, “find people who are doing interesting things and learn next to them” is one of the best electives you can choose.
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